Frankly Scarlet: The Pogues and "Turkish Song of the Damned"

Our random tune for today is by The Pogues, a Celtic punk band from London. Formed in 1982, The Pogues became internationally prominent in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band was originally fronted by Shane MacGowan, who left in 1991 due to drinking problems. The band has since been fronted first by Joe Strummer and then by Spider Stacy. The band broke up in 1996 after releasing their final album Pogue Mahone, but reformed in 2001 and has been playing regular gigs but has no plans to record a new album. The Pogues music is influenced by punk, but uses traditional Irish instruments such as tin whistle, cittern, mandolin and accordion. The band's name comes from "Pogue Mahone," an anglicized version of an Irish phrase meaning "kiss me arse." This song, Turkish Song of the Damned, can be found on their 1988 album If I Should Fall From Grace with God. The video was created by a longtime Pogues fan and artist who represents the song as a graphic novel.